Unaccomplished Dreams
by Outsiders Obsessor
Summary: "For once in her life, Anne's brain had fooled her into thinking she belonged here. In her heart of hearts, young Anne Shirley truly believed she belonged at Green Gables." Set during Ep. 1x1. During Anne's first- and seemingly last- night at Green Gables, the young girl takes the entire night to reflect on the circumstances that surround her. She doesn't want to leave. Not yet.


**Unaccomplished Dreams**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the canon characters; they belong originally to Lucy Maud Montgomery and now to CBC as well as Netflix for this interpretation. See the Author's Note for any future notes.**

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From now on, dreams didn't exist.

From now on, dreams held no meaning to Anne Shirley.

From the earliest point of Anne's memory, dreams were _always_ a disappointment.

Tonight has turned out no differently.

It is obvious to the young red-head that none of her dreams would _ever_ come true.

So, why even bother trying?

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Clutching the pillow and blanket close to her chest, Anne does not try to muffle or silence her cries. If the Cuthberts come upstairs to either scold or reprimand her, then so be it. The pain, whether verbal or physical, could never compare to the torture she had endured at the orphanage or at the Hammond household. At least Green Gables isn't filled with cruel, wicked girls who could- and most certainly would- rub a dead mouse over her face before locking her in the damp, dank, and depressing basement.

Children can be cruel.

Children can be _oh so_ cruel.

Teenagers can make nightmares real with a flick of the wrist. At least Mr. Cuthbert's strength would not compare even remotely to Mr. Hammond's if she is to be subjected to another beating in a long line of bruises and cuts. (Though, truth be told, Anne doesn't believe Mr. Cuthbert looks like the type of man to beat a child with a belt.) At least, Anne Shirley sincerely hopes so.

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Green Gables was her last chance at a normal life. Anne knows this perfectly well by now. Green Gables was her _only_ chance at becoming part of a family. For alas, the red-haired lass knows that couples coming to the asylum for an orphan would _never_ want _her,_ Anne Shirley with the outlandish vocabulary. No one wants Anne Shirley, the girl so skinny, gangly, and homely that the older girls would claim Anne would never bear children, let alone birth a _living, breathing_ baby with such narrow hips. Her red hair and freckles always work against her, in more ways than one. What family wants a child, an _adopted daughter,_ no less, that has fiery red locks and a face full of freckles, associating anyone burdened with hair the color of embers with witchcraft? Furthermore, what man would ever want to take a woman with hair like fire to wife? Suppose the red hair passes down to the children and spreads through the family tree like the plague!

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Choking on her own sobs while simultaneously snuffing mucus up her nose, Anne buries her face into the pillow, wiping her face against the pillowcase, staining the cloth. For once in her life, Anne's brain had fooled her into thinking she belonged here. In her heart of hearts, young Anne Shirley truly believed she belonged at Green Gables. After all, on the multi-hour drive from the train station back to Avonlea and Green Gables, Mr. Matthew Cuthbert had been nothing less than a perfect gentleman and a seemingly kindred spirit. After all, no one else in he history of the world has ever paid such rapt attention to Anne's stories. No one else has ever given Anne _positive_ reactions to her vast imagination and impressive vocabulary. Talking to Matthew Cuthbert was one of the least stressful events Anne has ever been a part of. And yet, all of that is going to disappear at first light, disappearing as if those wondrous moments never existed in the first place.

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Rolling over onto her back, Anne looks up at the ceiling and realizes who is at fault for the current predicament. Marilla Cuthbert. Now, if what the Cuthbert siblings say is true, then the mistake is not theirs, but the messenger's and the asylum's. Yet, regardless of where the error came from, Anne Shirley is firmly against the idea of challenging fate. Fate brought Anne to Green Gables, just as it brought Jane Eyre to Mr. Rochester's. One cannot challenge fate without facing the consequences. When Marilla Cuthbert told Anne that the farm is in need of a boy for farm work, the red-head's heart nearly shattered in half. Of course. They want a _boy._ Heaven forbid that women be desired for anything other than marriage and continuing on a man's legacy with innumerable children! Anne Shirley becomes queasy at the mere _idea_ of being treated like a man's property. Just because Marilla didn't believe Anne belong at Green Gables does not mean the young girl is going to stop trying. Women can have their uses, too, a fact Anne plans on proving to the Cuthberts. They would see she could be so much better than any _boy_ could ever be!

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Fighting off sleep long enough to make a plan, Anne begins to laugh to herself, the tears beginning to drain from her face. This would be a perfect plan! At breakfast, Anne plans to eat quickly to effectively wash the dishes before Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert could even finish one biscuit. After washing the dishes, Anne would collect the eggs from the chicken coop, offer to milk the cows, and even muck out Belle's stall! With her foolproof plan in mind, Anne finally forces her tired mind and body to drift to sleep.

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The morning inadvertently turns into a disaster.

"Now you'll _never_ keep me!" Anne blinks back tears of frustration as she collects the dishes she mistakenly dropped.

"I was _never going_ to keep you," Marilla admits in a stern tone of voice.

Anne can feel her heart shatter into hundreds of shards.

Perhaps fate is non-existent and Anne's dreams are all to remain unaccomplished.

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 **Author's Note: And there it is! My very first** ** _Anne with an E_** **story! Okay, so I must admit I was late to begin watching the show; I binged Seasons 1 and 2 and just finished watching it last week. However, this show has really inspired me, especially since it is the first TV show/film version I have seen of** ** _Anne of Green Gables._** **There are so many things to love about this show! Shirbert, Sebastian and Gilbert's brotherly bond, Anne's best friend bonds with Cole and Diana, not to mention her brotherly bond with Jerry and the adorable relationships with Marilla and Matthew! Ahem. Anyway, I'm re-watching all of the episodes again, because I have a plan to do one story per episode and per season. This show has been really inspiring, especially with the Gilbert X Anne interactions! Please let me know what you think about this fic through either reviews or PMs; I really like to know what my readers think about my ideas and my characterizations! Until next time, my dear readers! I hope you all have an amazing day, afternoon, or night! Be on the lookout for more** ** _Anne with an E_** **stories from me!**


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